Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-23
NAMED AT LAST.
THE IsrRR.srArE COMMERCE coMHrs-
sr0NERs APPOINTED.
The Presidents Excellent National selec-
tons Sketches Of the Careers Of
the Five Commissioners.
nv ,olcgrapb 10 The Dispatch. ]

WASHINGTON, March %. The Presi-
dent has appointed the following Inter
state Commerce Commissioners
Thomas NJ. Cooley, OF Michigan, for a
tenn of six years William X. Morri-
con. of Illinois. for five years Au>
ema Schoonmaker. Of New York,
for four years Aldace +. Walker, OF
Vermont, Tor three years and Walter
l.. Bragg. Of Alabama, for two years.
The fact tba, Mr.. Cooley's name
heads the list does not necessarily IN
dica,c that he will he chairman. as the
commission must elect.the chairman.
The following is sketch OF the public
careers OF the men composing the com
mission. excepting Mr.. Morrison, whose
public services are so generally known
as 10 need no description: 49,.
Thomas NJ. Cooley was born at Att
IN. Y. in 1924; studied law in that
stat and removed TO Michigan in
ls43. where he has since resided. In
1857 he was elected compiler of State
laws. and in 1853 reporter OF the Su-
preme Court. In 1889 he was chosen
10y the regents rs commissioner TO organ
ize the law DEPARTMENT. OF the University
of Michigan, and lac has ever since
been connected with it, In 1864 he was
elected Justice OF the Supreme Court,
and was reelected in 1869 and 1877. He
was nominated by the Republicans for
reelection in 1885, and was defeated.
Mr.. Cooley is the author of numerous
standard legal works. Tie was re-
Gently appointed by United States
Judge Gresham receiver of the Wabash
Railroad Company.
Aldace +. Walker is q Vermont law
yer. about forty-four years old, Repub-
lican in politics, who studied law with
Senator Edmunds served as a colonel
in the Union army, and has since then
practiced law at Rutland. In the Yer
mont Senate he has taken a leading
part in framing legislation to solve the
railway problem, and has given much
study TO the question.
August Schoonmsker. OF Kingston.
\. Y, was born in Ulster county, n.
Y, March 2, 1923, and is lawyer in
sctive practice. He has always been a
Democrat in politics. He has been
county Judge OF his county and candi-
date Of his party for Supreme-Court
Judge and State senator during Cover
nor Tilden's term as Governor. He
WAS one Of the leaders in the
Legislature on whom Tilden relied
to carry out his reform measures. He
wss always a close personal and polit-
zeal friend OF Iilden's. Mr.. Schoon-
maker was Attorney General Of New
York State in 1873 and 1879. In 1876
he was presented by the anti-Tammany
delegation from New York in the Demo
cratic State Convention as their candi-
date for Governor, and was Il delegate
to the Democratic National Convention
in 1876 and 1880, and also to the Chi
capo Convention in 1884. He is now
member Of the Civil-Service Com
mission of New York State, having
been appointed 10y Governor Cleveland
and retained in Office by Governor
Hill.
Walter /. Pragg was born in Ala
lama in 1888, but resided in Arkansas
from 1843 until 1861. He was educated
at Harvard University and Cambridge
Law School, and practiced law in
Arkansas for some years. At the close
of the war he settled in Alabama, and
Was for some years law partner OF Sen
atoy Morgan. He has been leading
Democrat in that State for some years,
and has served as a national delegate,
presidential electOr, and member of
The Democratic National Committee.
In 1881 he was made president of the
Alabama State Railroad Commits
sion, and served in that position
four years, during which time many
important questions arising between
railroads and their customers were
satisfactorily adjusted.